


All the Little Things (Give You Away)

by shadowhostage (thenakednymph)



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Gen, M/M, all the little things
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-13
Updated: 2013-03-13
Packaged: 2017-12-05 04:24:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 619
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/718854
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thenakednymph/pseuds/shadowhostage
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A follow-up of sorts to the fic All the Little Things (I Love About You). Guinevere isn't at the joust and Merlin finds Arthur's token.</p>
            </blockquote>





	All the Little Things (Give You Away)

Arthur stormed into the tent, Merlin waiting to tend him between jousts. He fumed in silence as Merlin checked over his armor, making sure everything still worked properly after the heavy blow he’d taken from one of the visiting knights before knocking the man off his horse. 

“So, is she there?” Merlin demanded, “Did she see you unseat that other rider in a manly display of skill and bravado?” he teased. 

Merlin hated the joust, as Arthur well knew, but was always there anyway. Arthur suspected he would be even if Merlin weren’t his manservant, though he didn’t know why.

“No,” he finally muttered and Merlin’s hands stilled on the buckle he was adjusting.

“What do you mean no?” Merlin’s voice was indignant as he twisted around to catch a look at Arthur’s profile.

“I mean she’s not there.” He tugged his glove off and flopped into a chair, looking sullen.

Pursing his lips in irritation Merlin spun around, pulling back the tent flaps, his eyes searching the roaring crowd for Guinevere. “But she promised she’d come,” Merlin said in confusion. “I don’t understand,” he muttered, more to himself than Arthur. “I know she hates the tourney’s but-”

“So do you and you’re still here.”

“Yes, but that’s because you make me,” he jibed. Arthur glared at him over his goblet and Merlin busied himself with finishing his examination of Arthur’s armor to hide his smile. He tugged experimentally on a vambrace and frowned.

“Well that’s no good,” he muttered, making to remove the damaged armor when Arthur caught his wrist, stopping him, the corner of some dark blue fabric poking out from beneath the metal. 

“Leave it,” he ordered, but the sparkle in Merlin’s eyes said he’d already seen the fabric, the deep blue glaring against the bold red of Camelot’s colors. 

Merlin grinned cheekily and Arthur’s heart gave a startled thump, afraid the other man knew. He quickly tore his eyes away and shoved the fabric back under the vambrace and out of sight. 

“Oh I see how it is.” Merlin’s voice lilted and Arthur struggled to explain, a flush painting his cheeks.

“It’s not what you think-”

“Oh I think it is,” Merlin crowed, “it’s a token from you lady love.” He gasped dramatically, putting a hand to his chest and Arthur felt his panic ease. “That is so sweet.”

Arthur flushed, equal parts embarrassment and relief. “If you tell anyone I’ll have you thrown in the stocks,” he threatened.

Merlin grinned, moving to the opening of the tent. “Wouldn’t dream of it sire.” But the glint in his eyes said otherwise.

With Merlin gone Arthur fell back against the chair, his fingers tugging nervously at the fabric. He knew he shouldn’t have stolen the neckerchief. It was Merlin’s favorite and he’d bemoaned the loss of it for a full week before having seemingly given up the search. Arthur was lucky Merlin had failed to recognize it for what it was. 

Wincing, Arthur tucked the fabric away. He didn’t know what had possessed him to wear it; it was bad enough he’d stolen the damn thing. By all rights if he were to wear a token it should be Guin’s, but he felt safer wearing it; like he was carrying a little piece of Merlin around with him. By all rights it should make him feel clumsy and awkward, he tried to reason, but it seemed to have an opposite, oddly soothing effect, and since he’d taken to carrying it, he couldn’t seem to stop.

Arthur scrubbed a hand over his face and stood, the cheers coming from the crowd outside signally the end of the previous joust. 

He’d have to be more careful next time.

**Author's Note:**

> I have at least one more for this "mini-series" I'd like to post, but please not they don't follow any specific timeline. They're just kind of random moments between Arthur and Merlin.


End file.
